A Filipino Coffee Shop Manager Has Won P222 Million in a Dubai Lottery

A 34-year-old Filipino coffee shop manager has won 15 million UAE dirham (about P222 million) from a lottery in Dubai, newspaper reports said. 

The man, identified in the Khaleej Times as Russel Reyes, paid AED15 UAE (P222) for the Easy Six Emirates draw and was informed he had won last January 13. It was his first-ever try in the lottery.  

Reyes is the first multi-millionaire winner of the Dubai lottery in 2023.

“The number 15 is extremely lucky for me,” Reyes told the Khaleej Times. “It feels overwhelming, and I am still in shock.”

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“I hugged my brother and declared victory,” he added. “And he thought I was joking because it was my first try, but he is happy for me.”

According to its website, the Easy Six Emirates draw is Dubai’s biggest weekly raffle draw. Like a typical lottery, players need to choose six numbers between 1 and 39. 

Three correct numbers in any order means a prize pot of AED5, while four and five correct numbers gets players AED15,000 and AED150,000.

Getting all six numbers correct in the draw guarantees players a prize of to AED15 million. The prize money is shared when there are multiple winners.

But Reyes is the lone winner of the January 13 draw.

According to the Khaleej Times report, Reyes bought the ticket at 7:22 a.m. on January 13.

“The winning call came at 12:45 a.m. on January 14,” he said “I couldn't sleep the whole night because I was shaking (with joy).”

He also said he chose the winning numbers carefully.

“I chose the number 6, month of my birthday; 29, date of my birth; 34, my age; 17, son's birthday; 25, sister's birthday; and 22 is mother's birth date,” he said.

Reyes, who has been working in the UAE for 15 years said he plans to invest the money and eventually relocate his whole family to the Middle Eastern country.

“I have to be very careful where I put my money and evaluate numerous factors before I decide,” he said.

Proceeds of the Easy Six Emirates lottery go to coral reef conservation in the UAE.